Clothesline reel



M y 23, 0 F. M. ALLEN 2,508,809

CLOTHESLINE REEL Filed March 24, 1948 INVENTOR. FTen/vz M. HMEA/ Patented May 23, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Kenworth Manufacturing & Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation Stamping 00., of Wisconsin Application March 24, 1948, Serial No. 16,870

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in clothes line reels.

It is the primary object of the invention to provide an effective reel of novel and inexpensive construction for use in the winding of clothes lines and the like.

More particularly stated, it is my purpose to provide a reel in which the reel proper comprises two identical halves each provided centrally with a flange and the two flanges together constituting a bearing upon" a central support provided with a handle. The flanges at the center of the reel preferably rotate on the periphery of a core and are confined between a pair of discs, the discs and core providing a bearing complementary to the reel. One of these discs has the ends of a one-piece handle welded thereto.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a complete reel embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed view in transverse section through the reel shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view on the scale of Fig. 2 showing portions of my improved reel in front elevation, other portions thereof being broken away.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detailed view in transverse section showing a modified embodiment.

Each of the annular reel elements 5 and 6 is pressed from a single piece of metal concavely formed into the frustum of a cone. The portions of each element which are of smaller radius at 1 and 8 are curved into a virtually cylindrical form where the elements abut. Thence each element integrally provides a short inwardly directed flange at 9, the two flanges being welded together in face contact to provide a connection between the elements and a bearing for the resulting reel. Each of the elements 5 and 6 is preferably provided with any desired number of radial ribs at l0 for reinforcement.

A bearing support is provided upon which the reel is freely rotatable. The inner peripheral margins of the flanges 9, which are welded together at I l as shown in Fig. 3, bear on the outer periphery of a core l2 and are confined between a pair of discs l3, M. The handle 15 comprises a single piece of strap metal having its ends turned inwardly at [6, l1, and Welded to the disc I4 as shown at l8 in Fig. 3. Welding at 19, 20 also holds the discs l3, l4 to the core l2. The assembled reel is very inexpensive and easily made of simple parts and yet is very serviceable and operates smoothly and freely to support a clothes lin for winding or unwinding. As shown at 22, one or both of the reel elements is desirably provided with a key-hole slot to receive and anchor the knotted end of the clothes line.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4, the disc I30 has a central offset or shoulder at I20 which serves as a bearing core, replacing the core l2 shown in Fig. 2. In this case the offset portion I20 of the disc I30 is welded directly to the disc It, the construction being otherwise identical with that already described.

I claim:

1. A clothes line reel comprising a pair of centrally convergent annular reel elements having in face contact like inwardly directed inner flanges, and a pair of discs peripherally embracing said flanges and having a bearing core upon which said flanges are rotatable for the rotatable support of said reel, one of said discs having a handle connected therewith.

2. The clothes line reel defined in claim 1 in which said core comprises a separate piece of metal having its external periphery fitting within the inner peripheral margins of the flanges of the reel elements and having a thickness substantially corresponding to the combined thickness of the reel element flanges, the said core being sandwiched between the discs aforesaid.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said core comprises an annular shoulder upon one of said discs, the outer periphery of the shoulder providing a bearing fitted within the inner peripheries of said flanges to provide a support on which said reel is rotatable.

4. A clothes line reel comprising a pair of substantially identical frusto-conical elements each provided with radial flutes and each having a portion of lesser diameter formed curvilineally into substantially cylindrical outline, each such element having its said central cylindrical portion provided with an inwardly directed annular flange, the two flanges being in face contact and together providing a bearing for said reel, together with a bearing support upon which the reel is rotatable, such support comprising a pair of discs embracing said flanges and a round core having an axial dimension approximately equal to the combined thickness of said flanges and upon the periphery of which said reel has bearing contact, one of said discs being provided with a handle.

5. The device of claim 4 in which the discs are planiform and the core is a disc of smaller diameter sandwiched therebetween.

6. The device of, claim 1 in which one of the discs has a central axially embossed portion shouldered to provide said core.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Sundstrand July 22, 1941 Number 

